Handling implement



June 3, 1941." w c L E R 2,244,072

HANDLING IMPLEMENT Filed D ec. 29, 1959 Patented June 3, 1941 UNITEDSTATES PATENT 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in handling implements or devicesand pertains particularly to a device designed to fit in the hand and tofacilitate grasping bodies without touching the same with the hands.

The primary object of the present invention is I to provide a. grippingor handling device which is designed to be held in the palm of the handand which is made up of two relatively movable jaw members, one of whichis adapted for connection with the fingers while the other is connectedwith the thumb and such members are relatively actuated by opening andclosing the hand whereby they may be employed to grip and pick up anyobjects or bodies which may be injurious to the hand or which one doesnot wish to touch with the hand.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gripping device of theabove described character in which the two bodies are hingedly coupledtogether and are provided with opposed teeth whereby a firm hold may beobtained upon an object by pressing the two bodies together insubstantially the same manner that the thumb and fingers of a hand arebrought together in the process of picking up an object, therebyinsuring the firm grasping of the object so that it may be handled withease.

Still another object of the invention is to provide in a device of theabove described character, means facilitating the connection orattachment of the two bodies making up the gripping implement, to thefingers and the thumb of a hand whereby the implement may be easilyretained in position in the hand while the two parts thereof are beingopened or closed in the process of picking up and releasing objects.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding,however, that the invention is not to be confined to any strictconformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed ormodified so long as such changes or modifications mark no materialdeparture from the salient features of the invention as expressed in theappended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the device embodying the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, through one of theteeth.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will'be seen that thehandling implement embodying the present invention comprises the twomain body portions l and 2, which may be formed of any suitable strongand rigid material such as sheet metal or the like. These bodies aregenerally of rectangular outline and are preferably slightlylongitudinally arcuate as shown or, if desired, each body may besubstantially straight intermediate its ends and may have a portion ofeach end turned laterally so as to give a general suggestion of alongitudinally arcuate form.

Across one end of each of the bodies there is formed a hinge element 3which constitutes an integral rolled in portion of the edge of the body,one of the hinge elements here being shown as being made up in the formof two alined sleeves which are in spaced relation while the hingeelement of the other body constitutes a single sleeve which is disposedat the longitudinal center of the body and which is designed to beinterposed between the two sleeves of the first body, the alined sleevesreceiving a hinge pin 4 by which the bodies are pivotally coupledtogether for relative oscillatory movement on an axis extendingtransversely thereof. The connection of the bodies is such that theconcave sides of the bodies are in opposed relation.

The opposite end edges of the two bodies I and 2 are formed to providethe inwardly turned teeth or claws 5 and for the purpose ofstrengthening the bodies, each is longitudinally corrugated or fluted atthe end in which the teeth 5 are formed, as indicated at 6. The teethare substantially V-shaped in cross section, each tooth being formedwith a fiute or corrugation extending longitudinally thereof and to itspoint. By

V this means a substantial degree of rigidity is given to each tootheven though the body from which the tooth is formed may be made ofrelatively light sheet metal. It will be readily seen that inoscillating the bodies I and 2 relative to one another, the points ortips of the teeth will be brought together so that an object may befirmly gripped between the two bodies.

In order to facilitate holding the gripping device in the hand with thehinge in the palm of the hand, each of the bodies is provided with thetransversely extending relatively wide flexible band I. These bands maybe of leather or woven fabric as may be desired and as shown, each hasits ends turned in against the inner face of the body to which it isattached, and secured to the body in any suitable manner as by the useof rivets 8 or the like.

In the use of the present device, it will be readily apparent that ifthe fingers of the hand are slipped under one strap or band 1 and thehinge portion of the device is disposed in the palm of the hand, thethumb of that hand may be readily inserted under the strap of the otherbody and, therefore, when the hand is opened or closed as in the act ofgripping an object, the toothed end edges of the two bodies will beseparated or brought together as may be desired and, therefore, theseteeth may be employed as gripping jaws for picking up objects whichmight injure or soil the hand.

What is claimed is:

1. An object handling or gripping implement, comprising a pair ofelongated substantially rectangular bodies, each of said bodies having asubstantially arcuate form longitudinally, means forming a hingeconnection between two adjacent end edges of the bodies whereby saidbodies lie in side by side relation with the concave sides thereofopposed, means forming gripping teeth along the other end edge of eachbody, said gripping teeth of each body being curved inwardly toward theteeth of the other body, and means carried by each body facilitating theengagement of the fingers and the thumb of a hand with the two bodies ina manner to position the hinge connection between the bodies in the palmof the hand and to facilitate relatively moving the bodies to move theteeth into and out of gripping relation, the said means comprising astrap of flexible material extending transversely of each body upon theside thereof remote from the other body and secured at its ends to thebody across which it extends.

2. An object handling or gripping implement, comprising a pair ofelongated substantially rectangular bodies, each of said bodies having asubstantial arcuate form longitudinally, means forming a hingeconnection between two adjacent end edges of the bodies whereby saidbodies lie in side by side relation with the concave sides thereofopposed, means forming gripping teeth along the other end edge of eachbody, said gripping teeth of each body being curved inwardly toward theteeth of the other body, and means carried by each body facilitating theengagement of the fingers and the thumb of a hand with the two bodies ina manner to position the hinge connection between the bodies in the palmof the hand and to facilitate relatively moving the bodies to move theteeth into and out of gripping relation, the said bodies being formed ofsheet metal and each of the bodies being provided with longitudinallyextending flutes each of which extends longitudinally of a tooth to giveto the tooth a cross section of substantially V- form.

3. A handling device of the character stated, comprising a pair ofbodies having two adjacent end edges hingedly coupled together, thebodies normally lying in side by side relation, each body beinglongitudinally corrugated from the other end. thereof through a part ofthe length of the body, each body having the said other corrugated endcurved inwardly toward the other body, the said curved end of'each bodybeing deeply notched throughout its width forming gripping teeth each ofwhich has a ridge of a corrugation extending centrally thereof therebyforming each tooth of V-cross section, and means carried by the twobodies for engagement by the fingers and the thumb of the hand forfacilitating holding the implement in the hand and moving the bodiesrelatively to one another.

4. A handling device of the character stated, comprising a pair ofbodies having two adjacent end edges hingedly coupled together, thebodies normally lying in side by side relation, each body beinglongitudinally corrugated from the other notched throughout its widthforming gripping teeth each of which has a ridge of a corrugationextending centrally thereof and with the high side of the ridge directedtoward the other body, and means carried by the two bodies for engage-.ment by the fingers and thumb of the hand for facilitating holding theimplement in the hand and moving the bodies relatively to one another;

WILEY C. LEDBETTER.

